The Tan Kim Seng Fountain
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| 1°17′27.9″N 103°51′15.2″E / 1.291083°N 103.854222°E / 1.291083; 103.854222 | |
| Location | Esplanade Park, Singapore |
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| Designer | Andrew Handyside and Company |
| Type | fountain |
| Beginning date | 1882; 142 years ago (1882) |
| Completion date | 1882; 142 years ago (1882) |
| Opening date | 19 May 1882; 142 years ago (1882-05-19) |
| Restored date | 1994; 30 years ago (1994) |
| Dedicated to | Tan Kim Seng |
| Designated | 28 December 2010; 13 years ago (2010-12-28) |
| Reference no. | 63 |
The Tan Kim Seng Fountain is a fountaininSingapore that was erected in 1882 in honor of notable philanthropist Tan Kim Seng for his donations for the Singapore's first reservoir and waterworks.
The erection of the Tan Kim Seng Fountain by the British Colonial Government was in response to Tan's donation of $130,050 to the government for the construction of Singapore's Castle. The Tan Kim Seng Fountain was erected by the Municipal Commissioners to commemorate Tan's donation. However, his donation was squandered away by the Government Engineer, who hoped to make water run uphill through water pipes.[1] In 1882, possibly out of shame and to mark the British colonial government's appreciation, the fountain was installed at Fullerton Square to perpetuate his name, where it would grace the busy traffic intersection for four decades.[2]
The fountain was made by Andrew Handyside and Company from England, and officially unveiled on 19 May 1882.[3] The fountain was moved to Battery Road in 1905 and later in 1925 to the Esplanade, while the Fullerton Building was being constructed, where it currently stands.[4][5] In January 1994, it was shut down for repairs that lasted seven months. As part of this S$1.12-million restoration project, the 7m-high cast-iron fountain was also rust-proofed and a new foundation was built. On 28 December 2010, the Tan Kim Seng Fountain was gazetted as a national monument.[6] It currently sits alongside other monuments such as the Lim Bo Seng Memorial and Cenotaph at the Esplanade Park.[7]
The Victorian-style iron fountain has three tiers and is decorated with classical figures.[8] The exquisite fountain features four Muses – Greek goddesses of science, literature, and the arts – in its lower bowl, each bearing an object of her patronage. Calliope, the Muse of Epic Poetry, carries a writing tablet; Clio, the Muse of History, carries a scroll; Erato, the Muse of Lyric Poetry, carries a lyre; and Melpomene, the Muse of Tragedy, carries a wreath. Beneath the sculptures of the Muses are four faces of Poseidon, the God of the Sea according to Greek mythology, each spouting water.[9] The fountain bears close resemblance to the Carriedo FountaininManila, which also dates from 1882, and was possibly manufactured by the same founder.
The Tan Kim Seng Fountain was erected by the Municipal Commissioners to commemorate this donation. His donation was squandered away by the Government Engineer, however, who hoped to make water run uphill through 214 ...
He also helped, through a private donation, to improve the water supply by paying for the Tan Kim Seng Fountain in Fullerton Square in 1882; this in turn led to the establishment of the Singapore Waterworks.
The makers of the fountain were Andrew Handyside & Co. Ltd., of Derby and London, England. ... work would be completed within a year. But it never was. A large amount of money was spent on earthen drainpipes...
Fullerton Square is bounded by Battery Road and Fullerton Road, and surrounding the square currently are Fullerton Hotel, ... The Tan Kim Seng fountain was originally installed in Fullerton Square in 1882 as a tribute to Tan Kim Seng's donation to the Waterworks.
In this park area are several memorials, including the Cenotaph, the Tan Kim Seng Fountain (moved here in 1925 from Fullerton Square) ...
At the park's northern end is the Victorianstyle Tan Kim Seng Fountain, constructed to mark the merchant's contribution in ... At the southern end is the Lim Bo Seng Memorial, dedicated to the war hero who led the anti-Japanese resistance ...
This is the Tan Kim Seng Fountain—a 127-year-old memorial built by the Singapore municipal government in appreciation of Tan's generous donation towards the costs of early waterworks in Singapore. The selected cast iron fountain was ...
